a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to snowboards, and more particularly to snowboards having specially designed structural components which are strategically shaped and positioned to provide improved functional characteristics of the snowboards.
b) Background Art
Snowboards have become increasingly popular on the ski slopes as an option in addition to snow skiing. Snowboards have much in common with snow skis with regard to the basic functions of traveling over the snow surface, executing turns, etc. Yet snowboards have design requirements specific to snowboards.
Like snow skis, snowboards have their own criteria relative to proper flexural and torsional characteristics. Also, snowboards, like snow skis have desired operating characteristics, such as edge hold, easy turn initiation, stability out of the turn, overall stability and dampness (i.e. desirable damping characteristics). There have been various attempts in the prior art to manipulate or modify the designs to obtain certain specific design characteristics. For example, some snowboard flex profiles are manipulated longitudinally by differentiating the core thickness profile from tip to tail. This can make the board softer in the nose and progressively stiffer in the tail in some cases.
It is an object of the present invention to provide selectively and strategically shaped and positioned structural components as part of the snowboard structure to provide a desired balance of operating characteristics, such as those discussed above.